‘South Park’ tackles gentrification: Does SoCo = SoDoSoPa?

Parts of the latest episode of Comedy Central’s “South Park,” which is in the throes of a season-long plot line about political correctness, looked eerily familiar.

As Austin contends with gentrification and the proliferation of condominiums in some of the most Austin-y parts of our city, a trendy commercial development on the long-running animated series — named SoDoSoPa (short for South Downtown South Park) — is built in the hopes of attracting a Whole Foods store.

It reminds us of SoCo, of course, but people from other cities, including Portland, Ore., Indianapolis, Ind., Cincinnati, Oh., and Denver, Colo. (“South Park’s” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone hail from the state) have turned to Twitter to insist that their towns are the real inspiration for the satire. Clearly, Austin is not the only community grappling with urban development issues.

Is SoDoSoPa really a not-so-thinly-veiled SoCo? Watch the in-episode commercial above for The Residences at The Lofts at SoDoSoPa (select balconies have views of “historic Kenny’s house”) and let us know what you think.